


Won't Be Long Now

by MiraMira



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Canon Character of Color, Female Character of Color, Female Protagonist, Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, Makeover, Politics, Post-Canon, Present Tense, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 22:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraMira/pseuds/MiraMira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The duly appointed representative of Style-Conscious Citizens for Nina Rosario stages an intervention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Won't Be Long Now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [littledust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledust/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, littledust! I hadn't considered Nina's political campaign inevitable until I read your prompt, but once I did, I couldn't stop until I'd written this. I hope you enjoy!

“Sonny,” Nina barks at her assistant, ignoring the figure still blocking her doorway for the moment. “What did I say about unscheduled appointments?”

Sonny slides down in his chair. “Um. No exceptions.”

“Then what do you call _this?_ ” She gestures at her visitor.

“That's not an exception,” Sonny protests. “That's Vanessa.”

Vanessa grins and completes her entrance into Nina's office. “At least _some_ of your staff know what they're doing.”

Sighing, Nina returns to her desk, knocking over a set of _Rosario for City Council_ signs in her wake. “I'm sorry. I know I said we'd get lunch soon. And we will. But not today. I have a speech over at Fort Washington Park in an hour.”

“That's why I'm here.” Vanessa slings her oversized handbag down on the desk with an unexpected clatter, then proceeds to pull an array of beauty products from it. “I am not going to open the paper again and see another picture of you in an earth tone suit with blown-out hair, like some reporter who wound up on the podium by mistake. You're the candidate who's running to bring new blood and new ideas to the office. You should _look_ it.”

“Voters can only handle so much change at a time,” Nina counters. “And the latest polls say my youth's more of a concern than an advantage.”

Vanessa snorts, uncapping a tube of pink lip gloss with the slightest bit of shimmer to it. Taking Nina's failure to swat it away instantly as assent, she commences application. “That's _your_ fear they're picking up on. All those back-and-forths with Benny about leaving the firm and how this is going to affect your family planning. All those late nights studying policy like you're back in high school so you're never caught off-guard by a question you can't answer. All that agonizing about if you should fight fire with fire, even when that pendejo called your papí an illegal. They don't think you think you're ready.”

Nina seethes at the memory. “Ready or not, he's the reason I'm doing this,” she says, waving away the makeup at last. In its place, Vanessa pulls out the hair gel. “Him and everyone else who doesn't think there's a place in this city for us.”

“Is that a line from your speech?”

“No.” She considers this for a second, then raises her voice. “Sonny?”

Hesitantly, Sonny pokes his head around the doorframe. “Yes?”

“Would you bring me my notes for this afternoon? I have some changes to make.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He grins, vanishes, then reappears for an instant. “You look good, by the way.”

“I begin to wonder whose idea this was,” Nina mutters after he is gone.

Vanessa smiles as she tugs on a curl. “Call it an intervention on behalf of Style-Conscious Citizens for Nina Rosario.” Setting down the gel and backing away before Nina can demand names, she goes rummaging through her bag for one last tool, then pauses to examine her work. 

“There,” she says, satisfied. “Now _that's_ the face of a future Councilwoman ready to change the world.” She holds up the mirror. “What do you think?”

The face before Nina is definitely younger, but without the negative connotations her polls have been blaring at her for the past several weeks. It is confident, vital, unafraid of the impossible because maybe no one else has found the right way yet. And when it smiles, she can already sense her opponents blinking first. “I think I'll call Benny and see if he wants to tag along for this speech after all.”

Vanessa laughs and claps her on the shoulder. “That's my girl.”


End file.
